Effective at 12:00 (noon), Thursday September 16, 2021, all open fires will again be permitted throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction. However, local governments may still have their own burning restrictions in place and people intending to light a fire should always check with local authorities before lighting any fire of any size.
The Fire Centre says the rescind is the result of recent rainfall that has reduced the wildfire risk in the region, along with the return of seasonal temperatures. Please see the attached map: http://ow.ly/NwAe30rU3eI.
For more information on what to expect as we head into the fall season, find the latest seasonal outlook here: http://ow.ly/8edq50G80k7.
The public is asked to undertake open burning responsibly and to follow guidance to ensure their burning is conducted in a safe manner.
This rescind means that campfires, Category 2 and 3 open fires, and Resource Management Burning will be permitted everywhere in the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdictional area.
Local governments may still have their own burning restrictions in place and people intending to light a fire should always check with local authorities before lighting any fire of any size.
The following activities are no longer restricted:
- the use of burning barrels and burning cages;
- the use of air curtain burners;
- the use of binary exploding targets;
- the use of sky lanterns;
- the use of fireworks, including firecrackers.
Anyone lighting a Category 3 open fire must first obtain a burn registration number by calling 1 888 797-1717. A Category 3 open fire is a fire that burns material more than two metres high or three metres wide, stubble or grass of more than 2,000 square metres, or more than two piles of any size. A poster explaining the different categories of open burning is available online: http://ow.ly/znny309kJv5
Anyone who lights a fire must comply with B.C.’s air quality control legislation. The BC Wildfire
Service urges people to take the following precautions with any permitted outdoor burning:
- Ensure that enough people, water and tools are on hand to control the fire and stop it from escaping.
- Do not burn in windy conditions. The weather can change quickly, and the wind may carry embers to other combustible material and start new fires.
- Create a fireguard around the planned fire site by clearing away twigs, grass, leaves and other combustible material.
- Never leave a fire unattended.
- Make sure that the fire is fully extinguished, and the ashes are cold to the touch before leaving the area for any length of time.
The Coastal Fire Centre covers all of the area west of the height of land on the Coast Mountain
Range from the U.S. – Canada border at Manning Park, including Tweedsmuir South Provincial
Park in the north, the Sunshine Coast, the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands
and Haida Gwaii.
The province is divided into six regional fire centres:
These are further divided into local fire zones (map, PDF). Each fire centre is responsible for wildfire management within its boundaries.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 tollfree or *5555 on a cellphone.
